Alberta Is the First Canadian Province to Officially Allow Wireless Controls

According to a story published by CBC, Canada's national television station, Alberta is the first province in the country, as part of its updated and newly released building code, to allow wireless controls in new residential construction. The provincial government held a press event May 22 to publicize the change.

In February, the provincial government issued an electrical safety information bulletin announcing the introduction of the code, which allows the installation of equipment such as wireless switches/lighting, as well as wireless audio/speakers, into all new construction projects.

In announcing the updated code last week, Shaye Anderson, Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister, said the technology will save money for homeowners and builders, and be more sustainable, by "cutting out pollution that comes from harvesting copper and plastic," he said.

According to James Keirstead, president and CEO of Levven Electronics, an Alberta-based high-tech electronics company that manufacturers wireless switches and audio equipment, the new code will allow for faster construction and increased access to smart technology.

"It means that we can bring a lot of advantages to Alberta builders that will conserve resources, such as labor, materials, and bring the internet of things into everyday people's homes," Kierstead said at the event. He added that Alberta home builders can save 23.5 million feet of copper wire without any cost to their businesses or their customers.

The switches can be installed anywhere in a home in about three minutes and be paired with the lights that residents choose.

Anderson explained that the reason the province adopted the code is because it wanted to get ahead of the curve.

"This one here is one of those where we know it's going to be coming in the future, but we jumped ahead on it," he said.

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